Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
The sorcerer is a playable character class
in the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
. A sorcerer is weak in melee
combat, but a master of arcane magic, the most generally powerful form of D&D magic. Sorcerers' magical ability is innate rather than studied. In the words of the 3.5 Player's Handbook: "Sorcerers create magic the way a poet creates poems, with inborn talent honed by practice."
Compared to wizards
, sorcerers' instinctive grasp of magic has more flexibility within the moment but less versatility overall. That is, they do not need to prepare specific spells in advance, but each sorcerer also acquires a much smaller number of spells, since they do not use spell books and cannot simply copy new spells from others' writing. Conversely, they do not worry about carrying spell books and having them stolen. Other effects of the sorcerers' intuitive approach are that they can cast more spells per day, but qualify for more powerful spells slightly more slowly than wizards.
Since sorcerers can only have a limited number of spells at their arsenal, most tend to specialize in the offensive magic that an adventurer will use most. While they gain only a few noncombat spells, they have perhaps more sheer destructive force than any other character class. Their biggest strength is also their most fundamental disadvantage: sorcerers lack the versatility of wizards, who can use any information on an adventure ahead to prepare spells from a wide range of options. The flexible sorcerer, however, can still choose which of his few spells to use or re-use next based on each new thing he learns in the adventure, regardless of any predictions.
Sorcerers and wizards often disagree; wizards tend to think of sorcerers as sloppy and undisciplined, while sorcerers can consider wizards obsessive and distant. Sorcerers were introduced in 3rd Edition D&D, to give players an alternative to the game's traditional wizard and specific spell preparation.
Kobolds, wild elves, Chaos Gnomes (a subrace of Gnomes introduced in the Races of Stone
supplement), Diaboli (an obscure race of anarchists
from the Mystara
Campaign setting, updated in Dragon magazine
#327), and Spellscales (a humanoid draconic race from the Races of the Dragon
supplement) all have Sorcerer as their favored class.
Many sorcerers claim that their magic comes from draconic blood, from some ancestor who was a dragon in human or other form. In the D&D world, this theory has not been confirmed, but people with dragon ancestors seem to be more common than most would think.
Preparing: Sorcerers do not need to prepare spells prior to using them. They may call upon whichever spell they innately know and may cast it using only the trigger sequence. Reasons for this are speculative at best, but some philosophers believe that sorcerers continually subconsciously recall the bulk of the spell at all times that they are awake.
Casting: When sorcerers want to cast a spell, they know instinctively which spell to use. They may then (as mentioned above) perform the same trigger sequence as a wizard would.
Resting: Sorcerers need to rest in the same way as wizards, otherwise they may fall into mental fatigue after too many castings.
Weapons and Armor: Sorcerers, like wizards, do not wear armor or use shields. However, unlike the wizard, sorcerers are proficient with the complete range of simple weapons, including the spear and shortspear, as wizards devote vastly more time and effort to maintaining their magical abilities.
Presented in the Player's Handbook II, the sorcerer is an arcane striker, with controller as a secondary role. Unlike other editions of the game, 4e sorcerers now have their own list of spells, rather than the same spells as the wizard. Sorcerers' attack spells generally use charisma, furthermore, many sorcerer spells benefit from high strength or dexterity. Sorcerers' sole class feature is spell source, there are several versions of spell source, one of which must be selected during character creation. Each version of spell source gives the sorcerer resistance to one damage type (which is fixed or variable depending on the version of spell source), gives the sorcerer a damage bonus based on either dexterity or strength, additionally, strength-based versions of spell source allow the sorcerer to use strength instead of dexterity or intelligence to determine AC while wearing light armor, and all versions of spell source give the sorcerer at least one additional benefit specific to that version of spell source, and many sorcerer powers have additional effects if a sorcerer has a specific version of spell source. In Player's Handbook II, two versions of spell source are presented: dragon magic and wild magic. Dragon magic refers to the belief that some sorcerers have draconic blood in their veins. Wild magic refers to a random, uncontainable magic that the sorcerer can tap into. In addition, the supplement Arcane Power introduces two more versions of spell source: storm magic and cosmic magic.
Character class (Dungeons & Dragons)
A character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by his or her chosen class; choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes in order to...
in the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. A sorcerer is weak in melee
Mêlée
Melee , generally refers to disorganized close combat involving a group of fighters. A melee ensues when groups become locked together in combat with no regard to group tactics or fighting as an organized unit; each participant fights as an individual....
combat, but a master of arcane magic, the most generally powerful form of D&D magic. Sorcerers' magical ability is innate rather than studied. In the words of the 3.5 Player's Handbook: "Sorcerers create magic the way a poet creates poems, with inborn talent honed by practice."
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (2000-2007)
Sorcerers were introduced in the 3rd edition Player's Handbook, and updated in the 3.5 edition Player's Handbook.Compared to wizards
Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)
The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
, sorcerers' instinctive grasp of magic has more flexibility within the moment but less versatility overall. That is, they do not need to prepare specific spells in advance, but each sorcerer also acquires a much smaller number of spells, since they do not use spell books and cannot simply copy new spells from others' writing. Conversely, they do not worry about carrying spell books and having them stolen. Other effects of the sorcerers' intuitive approach are that they can cast more spells per day, but qualify for more powerful spells slightly more slowly than wizards.
Since sorcerers can only have a limited number of spells at their arsenal, most tend to specialize in the offensive magic that an adventurer will use most. While they gain only a few noncombat spells, they have perhaps more sheer destructive force than any other character class. Their biggest strength is also their most fundamental disadvantage: sorcerers lack the versatility of wizards, who can use any information on an adventure ahead to prepare spells from a wide range of options. The flexible sorcerer, however, can still choose which of his few spells to use or re-use next based on each new thing he learns in the adventure, regardless of any predictions.
Sorcerers and wizards often disagree; wizards tend to think of sorcerers as sloppy and undisciplined, while sorcerers can consider wizards obsessive and distant. Sorcerers were introduced in 3rd Edition D&D, to give players an alternative to the game's traditional wizard and specific spell preparation.
Kobolds, wild elves, Chaos Gnomes (a subrace of Gnomes introduced in the Races of Stone
Races of Stone
Races of Stone is an optional sourcebook for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:...
supplement), Diaboli (an obscure race of anarchists
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
from the Mystara
Mystara
Mystara is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game. Although it has officially been dropped from production by its creators, many fans continue to develop and evolve this fantasy setting jointly, continuing its original theme of group development.-Development:It...
Campaign setting, updated in Dragon magazine
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#327), and Spellscales (a humanoid draconic race from the Races of the Dragon
Races of the Dragon
Races of the Dragon is an optional supplemental source book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:This book contains info on two new races...
supplement) all have Sorcerer as their favored class.
Sorcerer spell preparation and casting
Sorcerers may cast spells depending on their experience and their Charisma ability. Although they are generally smart people, their magic does not (unlike wizards') come from Intelligence and study. Instead they have a purely instinctive affinity for arcane forces, a power that also amplifies their personal presence and gives them a Charisma similar to their potential power.Many sorcerers claim that their magic comes from draconic blood, from some ancestor who was a dragon in human or other form. In the D&D world, this theory has not been confirmed, but people with dragon ancestors seem to be more common than most would think.
Preparing: Sorcerers do not need to prepare spells prior to using them. They may call upon whichever spell they innately know and may cast it using only the trigger sequence. Reasons for this are speculative at best, but some philosophers believe that sorcerers continually subconsciously recall the bulk of the spell at all times that they are awake.
Casting: When sorcerers want to cast a spell, they know instinctively which spell to use. They may then (as mentioned above) perform the same trigger sequence as a wizard would.
Resting: Sorcerers need to rest in the same way as wizards, otherwise they may fall into mental fatigue after too many castings.
Weapons and Armor: Sorcerers, like wizards, do not wear armor or use shields. However, unlike the wizard, sorcerers are proficient with the complete range of simple weapons, including the spear and shortspear, as wizards devote vastly more time and effort to maintaining their magical abilities.
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
Sorcerers are among the classes presented in the 4th edition Player's Handbook 2, and expanded on in Arcane Power.Presented in the Player's Handbook II, the sorcerer is an arcane striker, with controller as a secondary role. Unlike other editions of the game, 4e sorcerers now have their own list of spells, rather than the same spells as the wizard. Sorcerers' attack spells generally use charisma, furthermore, many sorcerer spells benefit from high strength or dexterity. Sorcerers' sole class feature is spell source, there are several versions of spell source, one of which must be selected during character creation. Each version of spell source gives the sorcerer resistance to one damage type (which is fixed or variable depending on the version of spell source), gives the sorcerer a damage bonus based on either dexterity or strength, additionally, strength-based versions of spell source allow the sorcerer to use strength instead of dexterity or intelligence to determine AC while wearing light armor, and all versions of spell source give the sorcerer at least one additional benefit specific to that version of spell source, and many sorcerer powers have additional effects if a sorcerer has a specific version of spell source. In Player's Handbook II, two versions of spell source are presented: dragon magic and wild magic. Dragon magic refers to the belief that some sorcerers have draconic blood in their veins. Wild magic refers to a random, uncontainable magic that the sorcerer can tap into. In addition, the supplement Arcane Power introduces two more versions of spell source: storm magic and cosmic magic.
See also
- Magic of Dungeons & Dragons
- Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
- Warlock (Dungeons & Dragons)Warlock (Dungeons & Dragons)The warlock is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was introduced as a non-core base class in the supplemental book Complete Arcane for the 3.5 edition of Dungeons & Dragons...
External links
- D&D Wiki has all the SRDSystem Reference DocumentThe System Reference Document, or SRD, is a set of reference role playing game mechanics licensed under the Open Game License by Wizards of the Coast and based upon their Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. The SRD forms the basis of WotC's various d20 System role-playing games, including the...
Classes, including the Sorcerer.